I'm a sucker for the big blockbuster type films, particularly during the summer. While I enjoy the downbeat and the character dramas, it's usually the higher octane stuff that has typically kept my attention more frequently and for longer durations. And so, with this week's blog theme, I'm delighted to pick out a few of my all-time favorites.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

While the PotC series as a whole has proven to be a bit of a mixed bag (second one was okay, third one largely succeeds on its brilliant soundtrack) the first one will always hold a special place in my heart. And I loved it for the same reason I think most audiences did: it was unexpected. Having a movie based off a theme park ride is such an absurd premise, that it really shouldn't work. But it did. It is the definition of a classic popcorn movie, perfect for summertime viewing and release. And not only does it have a tightly plotted and executed story with some clever twists on the genre, it also introduced the world to Captain Jack Sparrow. Back before he was scripted to be crazy, and instead proved genuinely enigmatic and unpredictable.

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Two months ago, I would've put X2 on this list, but Days of Future Past has officially surpassed my love for that film. And not only is it my favorite in the franchise, but it's also easily one of my favorite comic book movies ever. It's the most I've enjoyed a film since The Avengers, it exemplifies all the things I love best about X-Men, it brilliantly combines together the two casts utilizing the classic storyline, and it has that perfect balance between story and spectacle, humor and drama. Very few summertime fares can match this, even within the genre.

The Avengers

Joss Whedon did near about the impossible when he created this film, something that Marvel could only hope would execute with some modicum of quality. And dang, if this isn't a ridiculously fun film. Not only was it the first time we got to see so many big personalities from the comics on screen all together, but it also just impressed the weight and grandeur of a big, exciting comic book story that any fan or non-fan could love. The action is solid and thrilling, and the character interactions are everything we could want from Iron Man, Captain America, etc teaming up. Age of Ultron has a lot to live up to.

The Bourne Trilogy

I have a hard time choosing just one here, so I'm very happy collectively choosing them all. On paper the premise might not seem the greatest (maybe a bit worn down) but in execution it was excellent, both throughout Doug Liman's and Paul Greengrass' contributions. The Bourne movies successfully updated the spy-thriller for the modern age, giving a tragic spin on the conceit, while calling into question the very notion of such a character. What's more, it forced long-time franchises like James Bond to up its game. And Matt Damon has never been better.

My favorite summer movie is Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. And when I say summer movie, I do, of course, mean the kind of movies that are reserved for the summer months, generally the blockbuster, tentpole movies that studios hold back for the time when they know kids are out of school and will pressure their parents into going.

They get a lot flack in some ways, and it's easy to associate "big summer blockbuster" with "mindless" - when in actuality, the reason why that reputation has developed is because studios have learned they can rely on these films to make up the loss of flops and disappointments, and when there are so many being released - and on a yearly basis - there are bound to be duds. (And those duds are deserving of being called mindless.)

But there are still some great ones to be found, and I'll admit that in the past 10-15 years, they've oftentimes included many of my favorite films. For a time there, it seemed like we were getting an almost renaissance - not all found throughout the summer, but still, the attention-grabbing grandeur that tells big stories in a big way. Perhaps they're audience pandering, but they're also a utilization of elements uniquely suited to film, and more specifically, the big screen. Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, X-Men, Spider-man, Pirates of the Caribbean...I could go on. And for the most part, I've enjoyed them all, to one degree to another.

But that first Pirates of the Caribbean still wins it for me, at least in terms of strictly summer films (it would be hard to best Lord of the Rings, as far as I'm concerned). And I think the unexpectedness of the film is a large part of its appeal.

I saw the film at midnight (which, at that point, I only had done so with films I knew was going to enjoy) purely on happenstance, with invitation from a friend who was in love with Orlando Bloom. And beside a few trailers that had me rolling my eyes (another action flick? based off a Disney ride? this will go well) and the presence of Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom, I knew next to nothing about it.

I know the unexpected enjoyment of the film was reflected in others; it was a joy to watch as many of my friends (online and off) found their way to the film and would come away raving about how much fun they had had. For myself, within a few hours of getting home from the midnight showing, I knew I had to see it again - and my friend, my sister, and I saw it a good 6-7 times in the first two weeks alone, we loved it so much.

It's not just Johnny Depp's off-kilter performance, though I understand why that was a large part of the draw. Rarely do we encounter characters that are truly unpredictable, that we don't know what they're going to do next - or which side they're on - and who will frequently, and quite literally, steal scenes out from underneath the other characters. But it's also that the film captured a lightning-in-a-bottle mix, where every element possible was working at its best and in all the ways that a viewing audience, hungry for a fun action film, would latch onto. A solid story, smooth homages to the ride, frequent riffs off other films, consistent and quirky humor, and a soundtrack that introduced me to a little composer named Hans Zimmer. It was everything about the film that I loved. It was that I had so much fun viewing it - and that it inspired the romantic inside me, buoyed by our society's own fascination with pirates.

And the fact that I had, quite literally, zero expectations going in played into it. Because sometimes the unexpected pleasures can be some of the sweetest, and most memorable.

Though I enjoyed Dead Man's Chest and At World's End (the latter in particular) neither of them were able to entirely recapture the magic. And while at its release, I was one of the first to celebrate its inevitable franchise future, in retrospect, I kind of would've been okay if they had left it alone. That first film? It's still one of my fondest film viewings ever - especially that first time when I walked away from it, completely thrown for a loop at how much I had loved a movie for which I had so little expectation.

This comes with it the brief caveat that the list is not a totality of all my favorite moments because I doubt I could really name them all. Also, when I think of a lot of my favorite films, usually more than one scene crops up for me (or the entirety of the film itself). So basically, this represents a selection of my favorites.

Death of the Enterprise (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)

Though Spock's death scene in Wrath of Khan might just be the greatest in the entire franchise, this moment still gets me. It represents the ultimate sacrifice and loss, as well as enormous change for the characters. It is perfectly paced and shot, with the entirety of the cast (sans, of course, Spock) standing on the cliff watching the Enterprise burn up in the atmosphere of the Genesis planet, while James Horner's soundtrack beautifully reflects the melancholy of the moment. Like in many space-faring stories, the ship itself almost becomes a character, and that loss can be as great as that of any major cast member.

"The line must be drawn here!" (Star Trek: First Contact)

This is the kind of scene that could easily have been hammy in the hands of a lesser actor than Patrick Stewart. Like so many Star Trek films, First Contact is about revenge, and the movie is a fantastic follow-up to the Best of Both Worlds two-parter. Picard's entire emotional arc for the film built toward this moment, and as the outsider, Lily was the only person who could put him in his place. No matter how many times I watch the film, I always get chills during the delivery of the entire "They invade our space, and we fall back. They assimilate entire worlds, and we fall back" speech. Patrick Stewart is an incredible actor.

Ride of the Rohirrim (Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers)

This represents one of the best arguments for seeing these films on the big screen, and that even now, watching them at home in the living room just isn't the same. The first time I saw this, I know I gasped out loud (and then probably burst into tears). The moment is cathartic, after the night-long battle of Helm's Deep that dragged that characters and audience through the emotional wringer, only to have Gandalf and Eomer arrive at the end, riding in victory down the mountain to wipe out the remaining Urak-hai. The cinematography is extraordinary, and the music swells with Howard Shore's pitch perfect soundtrack. It's the kind of scene that makes me wish I could take these films back to the theatre.

Getting drunk on the beach (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl)

Amidst all the zaniness and somewhat goofy fun that follows the solid plotting of this film, there remains the truly enigmatic Jack Sparrow, swaying his way through the story with true charisma and unpredictability. And in the heart of that is this incredible little scene. Stranded on an island with Elizabeth, she gets Jack drunk, knowing she can find her own rescue off the island. And in the process, as Jack consumes more and more of the rum, for one of the few moments in the entire franchise Jack gives something to us that rarely ever comes out: honesty. For a fleeting moment, we see the truth of who Jack is an individual and what it is he wants in his life, and what it is that separates him as a pirate from the likes of a more greedy pirate like Barbossa. I love his explanation of the Black Pearl so much I have it hanging on my bedroom wall. ("It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails. That's what a ship needs. But what a ship is...what the Black Pearl really is...is freedom.")

Letting the Grail go (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade)

Last Crusade is easily my favorite film in this franchise, and it's in large part because of the relationship between Indiana and his father, cast perfectly as Sean Connery. Throughout the movie, with their somewhat complicated and contentious relationship, and Henry Jones's Sr's insistence on calling his son "Junior" (it is his name, after all) in their race against the Nazis to find the Holy Grail, the movie capstones it with a truly beautiful climax and end. Recognizing the Grail's origins, Indy correctly surmises that it would be the least beautiful of the presented treasure trove, and then the story wisely does not let the characters keep the Grail. Love interest Elsa dies trying to rescue it from a crevice in the shifting earth, but Indy's father won't let him do the same. And for the first (and only time in the film) Henry Jones Sr calls his son "Indiana." He has to let it go. It's these kinds of moments that make this film, and their dynamic relationship, work as well as it does.

Frodo and Aragorn (The Fellowship of the Ring)

I think of this scene as the best argument for allowing changes when translating a story from one medium to another. In the novel, Frodo parts ways with the fellowship (followed by Sam) after Boromir tries to forcibly take the Ring from him, and Aragorn is left with a dilemma of which group of hobbits he should pursue. But here, Peter Jackson and company bypassed the difficulties of depicting the internal dilemma with an added moment between Aragorn and Frodo, and it's one of the best in the film. It's the only scene with just the two central protagonists, and it gives Aragorn his own moment of temptation with the Ring, as well as showing to us his realization that he can't go all the way to Mordor. It's one of those key kind of character pauses that makes these movies so good.

Harry and Sirius (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)

David Yates is my favorite director to have participated in this franchise and this scene represents a large reason why: more than any of his fellow directors, he always takes time for character moments. And this remains consistent across all four of his Harry Potter films. Earlier in the film, we get a fabulous scene between Harry and Luna, and here, it's all about Harry and Sirius. It lets Harry give voice to many of his concerns and frustrations that form the core of his story in both the novel and film, and reminds the audience just how much Sirius means to Harry (as well as giving backstory on Sirius's life with his family). It's also one of the first times I felt Daniel Radcliffe had grown enough as an actor to accomplish all that was needed for the character.